sorta

Etymology

Written form of a reduction of sort of.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsɔɹtə/, [ˈsɔɹɾə]
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsɔːtə/, [ˈsɔːtə]

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)tə

Adverb

sorta (not comparable)

1. (informal) Contraction of sort of.

   The portraits on the wall aren't so useful, just sorta cool to have around

   • 1912, Caspar Whitney, Albert Britt, Outing: Sport, Adventure, Travel, Fiction, volume 60, page 680:

     'Webb,' he says sorta sorrowful like, 'it looks like a howlin' shame to have a bang-up American girl hooked up to a money-grubbin' member of the British nobility. […] '

   • 1993 July, “Sort of a Hero”, in Boys' Life, page 34:

     In fact the whole thing sorta backfired on old Chuck — and on me and Pete too. Instead of laughing about it, most people thought it was pretty crummy.

Contraction

sorta (plural sortsa)

1. (colloquial) Sort of.

   There's gotta be some sorta explanation.

   • 2001, Lawrence A. Wenzel, The Sandcastle at High Tide, page 97:

     He glanced at her then back at me. "What sorta research?"
     "Well, war correspondent might not be too far off," I said.

Anagrams

• Astor, Astro, Roats, Sarot, Troas, artos, astro, astro-, ratos, roast, rotas, taros, tarso-

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɔr̥ta/
• Rhymes: -ɔr̥ta

Noun

sorta f (genitive singular sortu, nominative plural sortur)

1. black dye